Month: June 2017

So, this morning, my long-awaited package from W2Beauty arrived! Naturally, I thought I’d let you know what was in the package.

Above is the main skincare items I got. The Innisfree essence and the steam balm from TonyMoly are old favourites of mine. I’ve been wanting to try the Etude House Bubble Tea sleeping packs for ages and opted for one that is based on green tea. The avo in the middle is a lip scrub from SkinFood that even smells of avocado. Lastly there’s a peel off Pokemon pack with a Digglet theme. I’m assuming it’s similar to other peel off masks, but I haven’t tried it yet. You can get a better look at the Bubble Tea sleep pack below, along with a hand cream from the Saem that I’m extremely keen to try.

On the left, you can see the hair products I got. Firstly, a conditioner and a hair mist from Innisfree that are designed for coloured hair. Secondly, an argan oil type essence that’s meant to be curl-enhancing (hoping it can boost the little bit of natural wave I’ve got going) from SkinFood. On the right we’ve got two body masks. Firstly, a parafin hand mask that I just tried (it’s awesome). Then to the right is a classic foot mask that’s meant to be peeling.

In regards to lip products, I ended up getting three things. A lipstick from Chateau Labiotte (also seen on the right), a lip tint from the Saem, and a lip balm from 3CE. I only ended up getting two eye products, two different liners. Firstly, a gel liner from Innisfree in a dark brown. Secondly, a cushion eyeliner that’s designed to look like an inkwell and feather-pen. I’m so excited to try it.

Lastly, I thought I’d show all of the amazing samples I ended up getting included in the order. It seems like a lot if you’re used to Western stores, but it’s really common for Korean stores and brands to include heaps of samples when you purchase things.

This cost me a total of 153AUD and shipping from W2Beauty is free when you spend more than 60 dollars.

So the idea of listing things you enjoy isn’t exactly new, but I did steal this format from the wonderful YouTuber Toxic Tears. Because this post would be massive if I did all 100 things at once, I’ll be splitting it into 5 parts. Oh and these aren’t ranked.

1. Coffee
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Coffee is love, coffee is life. It’s the finest organic suspension ever devised.

2. The Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid
I have to do so much heavy reading for my thesis and every now and then it’s just great to have a break and read something light. It’s a series of psychological thrillers with flawed but relatable characters.

3. Mushroom Soup
Anything with sautéed mushrooms is a big win for me and mushroom soup is essentially that flavour taken to the max. It’s the perfect winter treat when you’re feeling a bit crook or down.

4. Geeky Kitchen Gadgets
If you can make something functional and funny or geeky, then chances are I’ll like it. My tea pot is a Tardis, most of my mugs change design when hot or have some geeky slogan on them, some of my dishes have planet prints on them. It just makes life a little bit better to have things like that around.

5. Fire places
Want atmosphere? Get a fireplace.

6. Dogs
They are happiness on legs. There are few things that instantly put a smile on my face, but dogs absolutely have that effect. I currently can’t have my own dog but even just seeing one walk past outside does make my day a bit better.

7. Fluffy Socks
Nothing says comfort like a pair of fluffy socks. I wear them when writing or just relaxing after a long day. It’s just one of those small things that helps brighten your day.

8. Smashed Avo on Toast
Apparently this is why I can’t buy a house.

9. Good Wifi
Do I really need to explain why I like good wifi more than bad?

10. The theme for Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?
Holy crap is that a catchy theme tune. As far as themes for kids’ shows go, this is one of the best.

11. Batman.
Batman is one of my childhood heroes (thank you Batman: The Animated Series). Actually, scrap the ‘childhood’ part. Batman is one of my heroes.

12. Swimming
It’s one of the few forms of exercise where you can’t actually feel like you’re sweating – at least most of the time. It’s also just a nice thing to do when it’s hot outside.

13. Sunscreen
See point 12. It’s also the best skin care item there is.

14. Personal Styles
I love it when people manage to develop their own personal badass and flattering style rather than following trends.

15. Jeggings
I don’t care what you say, but with the right fabric they can look amazing. Not to mention that they’re super comfortable.

16. Sabaton
Gotta love a band that uses history as an inspiration for some pretty epic metal songs.

17. Sheet Masks
They’re just super convenient and a good way to look after your skin. Not to mention that they’re super cheap compared to most other alternatives.

18. Dark Green
It just happens to be my favourite colour.

19. Comfortable high heels
Finding a pair of comfortable heels that fit just right is absolutely amazing. Plus, they make you taller – which is helpful since you can look over other people’s heads in crowds and know where things are.

This is the first time I’ve written a review of a video game on this blog. So why did I decide to write about an FMV game with an inconveniently lengthy title? The answer is honestly that I think the game deserves a whole lot of appreciation and that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What is it?
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is a lovecraftian murder mystery. You assume the role of a therapist trying to figure out who murdered you predecessor whilst treating his patients. It consists fully of FMV sequences and on a very basic level, the core mechanic relies on you typing in responses and questions to the people you’re talking to.

How much would you have to pay for this thing?
8.99 USD on steam

Which platforms is this game available on?
I’ve played it on a MAC laptop. It’s also available for PC.

Is there any re-playability?
The murderer is randomly decided at the start of the game and thus the answer to the main question keeps changing every play through. Despite this, I’d say the re-playability is fairly limited since a majority of the content remains the same. Some pieces of evidence change along with the identity of the killer. I’d recommend doing one straightforward play through and one in which you attempt a completionist run and aim to get all possible responses.

FMV, really?
Yeah, the full motion video style of gaming is back. Thankfully, this time, most FMV developers decided to hire people who can actually act. Furthermore, the developers seem to have developed an understanding of the nature of the medium and it’s audience that allows for interesting twists and turns. The interview format used by this game works very well with an FMV type game and you don’t really feel like this game would have been better if it had skipped the FMV and instead relied on animated characters.

Is it fun?
I had a good time with this game and also watched a Let’s Play or two. It’s the type of game I’d recommend playing whilst enjoying a glass of wine or with a friend. It’s what you make of it. The game is fairly self-aware and does allow for a fair few tongue-in-cheek moments.

Is it difficult?
Yes and no.
Finding the right key words or questions is sometimes a struggle. Most of the time you’ll move along just fine only to get stuck. Thankfully, the hint system is quite good. You can set a cool-down period for the hints and thus control your own frustration levels.

Is this a new game?
Yes, it was released in May 2017 and has received regular updates since then.

Who would I recommend this game to?
Anyone who enjoys story-driven games, FMV, and/or lovecraftian horror.

Should you give it a go?
Hell yeah, it’s a truly unique game. Even if you don’t think it’s your thing, 8.99 USD isn’t much to pay for giving something a go.

For the last few weeks, I’ve really tried to get rid of some of the things I’ve had for years.

The Green Tea essence from Innisfree is one of my all-time favourite skincare products and I’m probably going to re-purchase this at some stage. The Etude House body wash smelled wonderfully like chocolate but wasn’t very moisturising. The Apple hand creme from TonyMoly was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The cleansing foam from the Face Shop got the job done but wasn’t spectacular and I suspect it expired, so I’ve decided to replace it. I’ve only got positive things to say about the Moksha sheet mask called Dear, Bamboo. The rest of the items aren’t really too noteworthy and are either just regular stuff being replaced or things I decided to get rid of because I was really bored with them and had other things lined up.

This post is about brands and products that I think are underrated, underestimated, or just not as well known as they should be. They’re not necessarily small indie brands and this is not a hipster post. It’s just about things I think you should look into. Last thing to consider is that products and brands may be well known in one part of the world but not in another.

The first brand I’d like to draw some attention to is Palmer’s. It’s a brand you can find in most drugstores in Australia and they specialise in skin care. It’s not necessarily unknown, but I almost never hear people talk about it. The cocoa body butter included in the photo above is wonderful, smells nice, and is really moisturising. In terms of affordable skincare, look into Palmer’s the next time you’re considering a purchase. I use their exfoliator, body butter, and they used to make the best lightweight moisturiser I’ve ever tried.

Geek Chic Cosmetics is one of my all-time favourite indie brands. Their solid perfumes are some of the very few perfumes I actually like. They’re not overpowering and they don’t stink up the entire house. Furthermore, they make my favourite powder foundation. It’s in the shade Kahlan and I’ll have to re-purchase it soon. They’ve also got a great body lotion that references Silence of the Lambs, which is amazing. They’re mostly known for their eyeshadows, which come in geek themed collections. As a bonus, the brand is cruelty free and at least mostly vegan.

SkinFood is a great Korean brand that never seems to get much attention in the west. They make my favourite eyebrow powder, the gummibear shaped hand cremes I rave about, and some truly awesome skincare products. If you love cute packaging, high quality products, and like brands that try new things – then SkinFood is for you.

TonyMoly – this is a brand you’ve probably heard of. However, it seems to be underestimated by most people I’ve chatted to. This brand makes a mind-blowingly good liquid eyeliner for like 10 dollars. Their steam balm in their egg pore series is one of the best products I’ve tried when it comes to fighting blackheads. Furthermore, their Pokémon themed collaboration that you can still find in a lot of online k beauty retailers was really good. The Psyduck cheese firming cream contains gruyere (seriously) and can be used on your body and face. I typically use it on my legs after shaving and it has been really helpful.

Innisfree – Innisfree is my holy grail skincare brand. If I was only allowed to use one brand for all of my skincare, then it would be Innisfree. They are famous for combining natural ingredients with scientific innovation and the result is gorgeous. In addition to their skincare they also have innovative products in haircare and some really solid makeup products. Their no sebum compact powders are perfect in humid climates.

Guerlain – You’ve probably heard of this brand. However, very few people seem to actually purchase things from them. Out of all the luxury brands, Guerlain is the one given the least attention in comparison to how good the brand really is. I’ve been a fan of their Rogue G de Guerlain lipsticks for years and currently use a light-medium coverage foundation from them. I’ve never tried a Guerlain product that I found lacking in quality, the only time a product hasn’t worked for me was when it was made with a pink undertone in mind.

Paint – I’ve only ever seen this brand in one Terry White’s. It’s honestly on par with OPI in terms of quality even though their range is a bit smaller. I remember buying 5 bottles of nail polish for 10 dollars and not a single one of them disappointed me. The shade I’m showing in the photo above was simply called ‘red’. This means that it’s hard to search for the brand online since both the brand name and shade names are really generic. If you have a Terry White Chemist near you, see if they carry this brand.

BH Cosmetics Galaxy Palette – I don’t know enough about BH Cosmetics to be able to recommend the brand as a whole. However, their galaxy themed palette is heaps of fun. It’s great for creating unusual looks and the colours can be used both wet and dry. If you’re looking for a fun palette that’s really affordable, check this one out.